WEST ACTON
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| Mr. and Mrs. James French welcomed a baby daughter Saturday at their home. |
| Mrs. F. H. Nash and children were in town Friday. |
| The lawn party date in the last issue was incorrect and is to be this week Thursday night, given by the Acton lodge, I. O. O. F., and Winona Rebekah lodge. Maynard brass band will furnish music and a dance will follow the lawn party. |
| Otto Mott and wife returned the week end from a visit with relatives at West
Medway. |
| Webster Blanchard will enter Harvard college this fall. |
| Geo. Reed, one of the fire engineers, had several of the members of hose 1 and 2 out for a little practice with the hose during the week. |
| A party of young people are camping at C. G. Durkee's cottage at Fort Pond. |
| Miss Lizzie Robinson of Boston visited a few days last week with Miss Annie Blanchard. |
| S. J. Foster and family have gone to Baker's Island for the summer, where they have a cottage. |
| Mrs. George B. Parker is slowly gaining and is able to sit out on the piazza. |
| A. B. Parker and family and Miss Ruth Lawson have started for Mrs. Parker's home in Pennsylvania, making the trip in their automobile. Mr. Parker will attend the Gettysburg celebration, which is the first week in July. Miss Lawson will visit with her relatives in New York. They expect to be away about five weeks. |
| Miss Ruth Pierce spent two days in Connecticut during the week. |
| Fred Pierce has gone to work at W. E. Whitcomb's market for the summer. |
| The Baptist Sunday school picnic is being held at Fort Pond this Wednesday. |
| Mr. and Mrs. Eugene McCarthy of South Wabash ave., Chicago, are the parents of a daughter, born June 17.
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| Mrs. Addie L. Holt visited several days during the week at Somerville. |
| Mr. and Mrs. Otto H. Geers of Stow are the proud parents of an eight and a half pound daughter born Friday. |
| Miss Annie McCarthy and Miss Dorothy McCarthy of South Boston are spending the week at the home of the former's uncle in Brighton. |
| Miss Loretta Shattuck of Concord Junction was nicely entertained at the home of her aunt, Mrs. Herman Chaplain, in honor of her 14th birthday Friday, with other invited guests. The party was served to a fine supper. The table cloth, which was used on the table was over 100 years old and the dishes were over 85 years old. |
MET AFTER 58 YEARS
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The following article was taken from a Bridgeport paper will be read with interest by friends of Alonzo Joy of this town:
A little news item published last summer in a weekly paper at South Berwick, Me., stating that an old soldier had addressed the school children in the old schoolhouse which he had attended as a boy, was responsible for the reunion of two cousins in Bridgeport this week after they had not seen each other for 58 years, thus proving that truth is stranger than fiction.
L. B. Joy of 129 Grant st., for the past 13 years employed at the American & British Manufacturing Co. is one of the cousins and Alonzo Joy of West Acton, Mass., is the other. Both were boys together, born and brought up in South Berwick. Me., where they attended school together, but had last seen each other in 1855. Both served in the war of the Rebellion, but in different regiments and although each knew the other was alive was ignorant of his whereabouts.
L. B. Joy enlisted in the 17th Maine Volunteers and served all through the war escaping without a scratch. He drifted down into Connecticut, landing at Derby and lived there a number of years, but finally reached this city, where he has been for the past 13 years. He is 65 years old.
Alonzo Joy went first to Lawrence, Mass., and there enlisted in the historic Sixth regiment, the first sent to the front in that great struggle. He was with the regiment when it went through Baltimore and in the riot which followed was shot in the left hand and had to have the third finger amputated, which amputation was the first performed in the war. He served all through the war and was mustered out within a stone's throw of the ruins of Fort Sumpter at Charleston, S. C., where the first shots of the war were fired. He is now 72 years old.
Last summer while on a visit to his native town he made an address to the school children in the schoolhouse he had attended as a boy in company with his cousin, and among those he spoke to were the grandchildren of some of his former schoolmates.
The South Berwick local paper made mention of this address and a copy of the paper was sent to L. B. Joy of Bridgeport, who at once communicated with his cousin, they thus learning for the first time the whereabouts of each other. He also extracted a promise from Alonzo that he should visit him the coming summer.
This was fulfilled last Wednesday, when he came to Bridgeport and the two cousins met at the railroad station for the first time in 55 years. Tears of joy filled the eyes of both and they were so overcome with emotion at seeing each other that they could only clasp hands in a strong, hearty grip for a moment before looking at each other to see the changes that time had wrought in them.
This morning Alonzo Joy returned to his house in West Acton, Mass., delighted with his week's visit and declaring that he had never spent a more enjoyable seven days in his life.
Next year L. B. Joy of Bridgeport will go to West Acton for a return visit and the two old soldiers and boyish comrades will have another interchange of reminiscences, they not having fully exhausted their respective stocks, although they have been working overtime at it ever since they came together last Wednesday. Yesterday they went to a photographer's and had their pictures taken together, which forms a very precious souvenir for both. |
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AT FR. BROWNE'S JUBILEE
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| David Kinsley represented this town at the silver jubilee of Rev. Walter J. Browne at Maynard Monday evening. Mr. Kinsley proved conclusively that oratory is his forte and made the hit of the evening with an eloquent and witty discourse. Mr. Kinsley traced the changes that have come since Fr. O'Reilly used to walk from Maynard to this town, later how Fr. Brosnahan used to come on horse back and how now Fr. Browne comes in his auto. Mr. Kinsley was given a great reception, when he closed his remarks and it was generally conceded that Acton had once more held its own. |
SOUTH ACTON
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Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Turner celebrated their 47th anniversary last Wednesday.
Mrs. Frank Rotch is visiting with her mother in Ayer.
Chester Smith has been at work on the steam roller in Maynard for a few weeks.
Mrs. E. H. Jones is somewhat improved and is able to sit out on the porch on pleasant days.
Mrs. A. Sweet left last week for New Brunswick for a couple months' rest with her home folks.
Saturday, an Italian Maynard baker was arrested going to the Italian colony, charged with having a lot of beer in his wagon.
Frank Greenough left on Monday for Windsor, Conn., to take charge of some teaming work.
Trimmed and untrimmed hats at a great reduction. Lizotte and Dupuis, Maynard, Mass.
Rev. Andrew Gibson of Medford preached in the Congregational church Sunday at both services.
N. J. Coles is having another siege with a big boil on his arm.
Mrs. Frank Duffeny of Northfield, Vt., is visiting with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Chandler, for a few weeks.
The Y. P. C. U. of Universalist church is planning a lawn party to be held Tuesday, July 1, on the church grounds. There will be good music. Candy, ice cream, peanuts, popcorn and punch will be for sale. Don't miss the wonderful chance of your life of having your future foretold by a wonderful fortune teller. Be sure and come. If stormy, the party will be held Wednesday, July 2.
The fifth annual Mothers' outing under the auspices of the W. C. T. U. will be held on July 1, at Mrs. Walter Hayward's at 2.30 p.m. All mothers are cordially invited to be present. Set aside the day at once. It is an occasion which none should miss. Mrs. Catherine Stevenson, president of the state W. C. T. U. will be present.
The June W. C. T. U. is to be held at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon, with Mrs. Chase.
Ethel and Violet Tobin of Maynard spent Sunday visiting with Laura Donnelly.
Madison Fairbanks has gone to Newport for a week to operate a car for a friend.
Carl Center left Monday for Becket, in the Berkshires with the Y. M. C. A. campers to be gone nine weeks.
Warren Jones picked and shipped 20 crates of strawberries Monday.
Horace Bacon and wife of Waltham visited with A. A. Jones and wife last Monday.
Marguerite Stevenson received a linen shower by parcel post last week, a pleasant way to surprise a friend.
Mrs. Charles Heath and Bertha are planning a visit to her girlhood home in Nova Scotia.
Mr. and Mrs. Wells are home from a fortnight's trip to New Hampshire.
Will Huntoon, machinist in Uncle Sam's navy, is at home for his annual vacation after a long cruise in southern waters.
Rev. Brayton Case is spending a short time at his parent's home, and attending the “farewell meetings” of the missionaries in Boston. He will go to Burmah next fall.
Howard Quimby has accepted a position for the summer at Rutland, Vt.
Harold Hymonds was at home over Sunday.
John Stevenson took a trip to Mason, N. H., last Saturday.
Russell Case is at Athol for the summer's work.
Miss Della Dearborn and John Snow autoed from Waltham Sunday to spend the day with relatives.
Mrs. Amelia Tarbell has been visiting with Mrs. Brooks at East Acton.
Arthur Jones is able to be about the house and out of doors on pleasant days.
Another shift of trains went into effect Monday. Nothing very bad, however. The train that made up here at 5.35 in the morning has been passed on to Marlboro, leaving that city at 5 a.m. and South Acton as heretofore, 5.35 a.m.
Mrs. Gertrude Inman of Dorchester visited with Mrs. Alfred Flint last Sunday.
Harding Bent has gone to Milbury to work because of dull times at the Maynard mills. |
SCHOONER SUNK
CLOSE TO SHORE
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Stern of Fishing Boat Priscilla
Is Sliced Off
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IS BUMPED BY A STEAMER
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Nahant Liner's Captain Says Small Craft
Shot From Behind Colliers and
Collision Could Not Be Avoided—Fishermen Have
Barely Time to Clamber Into Their Dories |
Boston, June 25.—The Nahant steamer Machigonne cut in two and sunk the auxiliary fishing schooner Priscilla in the upper harbor yesterday afternoon.
The Machigonne was jammed with passengers bound for Nahant, and they crowded to the rails and watched the Priscilla sink. She dropped out of sight twenty minutes after the collision.
Captain Wolf of the Priscilla declared immediately after he landed that the man at the wheel of the Machigonne was not looking and that the Nahant boat plowed straight into his craft.
Captain Olson of the Machigonne, however, declared the fishing boat shot from behind some colliers and that although the Machigonne reversed her engines, it was too late to prevent a collision.
The revenue cutter Gresham sent a cutter to rescue the men on the Priscilla, but they needed no aid.
The collision occurred just off the Commonwealth pier. Both boats were outbound. The Priscilla was on her way to the fishing grounds, after swordfish. She was running under her auxiliary power, while the crew got the sails to drawing.
The iron prow of the excursion steamer sliced off the fishing boat's stern as neatly as a saw might have done.
The Machigonne's engines were reversed, and passengers leaned over her rail to see the fishermen fight for their lives. In a trice they had slit the ropes that hold the “nest” of dories and slid the clumsy-looking boats overboard. They had time to snatch suitcases from the cabin and tumble them into the dories before the Priscilla sank.
The Nahant boat, after seeing that the fishermen were safe, went on its way.
The Priscilla is sixty-four feet over all, with forty-four gross tonnage. She is owned by Jacob F. Brown of Gloucester, but is a Boston boat. After her last swordfishing trip, she went to East Boston for repairs on her engine, and these were just completed yesterday. |
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